Complex home appliance and method of controlling and installing the same

ABSTRACT

A complex home appliance and a method of controlling and installing the same. The complex home appliance includes a single power supply unit shared by two or more component home appliances of the complex home appliance. The two or more component home appliances are controlled by a single control unit of the complex home appliance. The complex home appliance can be operated in a simultaneous operation mode in which the two or more component home appliances are simultaneously operable, and an individual operation mode in which only one of the two or more component home appliances is operable. The complex home appliance includes a mode-setting unit to set the simultaneous or individual operation mode. The complex home appliance includes a power cut-off unit which supplies power to the single power supply unit and cuts off the supply of the power in response to being electrically opened at the time of an electrical overload.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of copending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/379,897, filed Mar. 6, 2003, which claims thebenefit of Korean Application No. 2002-53360, filed Sep. 5, 2002, in theKorean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which areincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to home appliances, and more particularly,to a complex home appliance, in which home appliances such as amicrowave oven, a toaster, and a coffee maker are integrated into asingle system.

2. Description of the Related Art

Generally, home appliances include kitchen appliances, such as atoaster, a coffee maker and a microwave oven, and audio/video equipment,such as a stereo system, a Video Cassette Recorder (VCR), and a DigitalVersatile Disc (DVD) player. The kitchen appliances are home appliancesthat have similar purposes and are mainly used within a region of akitchen space. Although the kitchen appliances are used within theregion of the kitchen space, the kitchen appliances are independentsystems, each having a control unit (for example, a microcomputer) and apower supply unit therein.

FIG. 1 shows conventional kitchen appliances including a wall mountedmicrowave oven 102 having a hood function and placed above anelectric/gas oven 104. A toaster 108 and a coffee maker 110 arestationed, for example, on the right and left sides of the electric/gasoven 104.

As described above, since the home appliances having a similar purpose,that is, to cook food, are placed in several locations of the kitchenspace, an increased movement of a user is required to carry out foodpreparations. Accordingly, the additional movements increase the overallfood preparation time and excessively consumes the user's energy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention is to provide a complexhome appliance, in which home appliances having similar purposes and areused in a restricted region of a home, are integrated into a singlesystem.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a complex homeappliance which allows a user to use component home appliances thereofsimultaneously or individually, thus preventing an electrical overloaddue to the simultaneous operation of the component home appliances wherean insufficient amount of power is supplied.

Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth inpart in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious fromthe description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

To achieve the above and/or other aspects of the present invention,there is provided a complex home appliance comprising two or morecomponent home appliances which are integrated into the complex homeappliance as a single system, and a single power supply unit which isshared by the two or more component home appliances of the complex homeappliance. The complex home appliance may further comprise a singlecontrol unit which controls the two or more component home appliances.

The complex home appliance can simultaneously operate the two or morecomponent appliances in a simultaneous operation mode thereof, andoperate only one of the two or more component home appliances in anindividual operation mode thereof.

The complex home appliance may include a mode-setting unit to set thesimultaneous or individual operation mode.

The complex home appliance may include a power cut-off unit which cutsoff a supply of power to the single power supply unit in response tobeing electrically opened to prevent an electrical overload.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent and more readily appreciated by describing in detail apreferred embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawingsin which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a use of conventional kitchenappliances;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a complex home appliance according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the complex home appliance shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a setting of a simultaneous orindividual operation mode according to a volume of a rated power of apower cut-off unit in the complex home appliance shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a setting of the simultaneous, apartially simultaneous, or the individual operation mode according tothe volume of the rated power of the power cut-off unit in the complexhome appliance shown in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferredembodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustratedin the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer tothe like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below inorder to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a complex home appliance 200according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2,the complex home appliance 200 of the present invention is placed andused, for example, above an electric or gas oven 204. The complex homeappliance 200 of the present invention is a single system into whichcomponent home appliances including a wall mounted microwave oven 202having a hood function, a toaster 208 and a coffee maker 210 areintegrated. In this case, the single system refers to, for example, asystem that shares a single power supply unit and is controlled by asingle control unit.

A ventilation device (not shown) is placed within the wall mountedmicrowave oven 202 having the hood function to discharge steam, odor andsmoke generated by a use of the electric/gas oven 204. Additionally, aventilation motor (not shown) is placed within the wall mountedmicrowave oven 202 having the hood function to drive the ventilationdevice. The ventilation device shares the single power supply unit ofthe complex home appliance 200, and is controlled by the single controlunit of the complex home appliance 200. In addition, the wall-mountedmicrowave oven 202 is provided with an input unit 212 to input settingconditions required to cook food. Set values input through the inputunit 212, and various cooking information are visually displayed on adisplay unit 214.

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of the complex home appliance 200 shown inFIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 3, input ports of a control unit 302 thatcontrols the overall operation of the complex home appliance 200 isconnected to the input unit 212 and a power supply unit 308. The inputunit 212 includes a mode-setting key 332 which is capable of setting asimultaneous or an individual operation mode of the complex homeappliance 200. An input port of the power supply unit 308 is connectedto a power cut-off unit 306 installed, for example, in a home. That is,the power supply unit 308 is supplied with power through the powercut-off unit 306, transforms the power to a type of power needed for thecomplex home appliance 200, such as Alternating Current (AC), DirectCurrent (DC), or power of a desired voltage level, and provides thetransformed power to the component home appliances of the complex homeappliance 200.

The output ports of the control unit 302 are connected to a displaydrive unit 310, a ventilation motor drive unit 314, a magnetron driveunit 318, a tray motor drive unit 322, a coffee maker drive unit 326 anda toaster drive unit 330 to drive the display unit 214, the ventilationmotor 316, the magnetron 320, the tray motor 324, the coffee maker 210and the toaster 208, respectively. The magnetron 320 installed in themicrowave oven 202 is used to heat food by generating electromagneticwaves. The tray motor 324 is used to rotate a tray (not shown) of themicrowave oven 202.

In the simultaneous operation of the component home appliances of thecomplex home appliance 200, where power consumed is greater than a ratedpower of the power cut-off unit 306, the power cut-off unit 306 iselectrically opened and the supply of the power to the power supply unit308 is cut-off to prevent an electrical overload. In a home where therated power of the power cut-off unit 306 is sufficiently great becausethe amount of the supplied power is sufficiently great, such a problemdoes not occur even though all of the component home appliances of thecomplex home appliance 200 are used. However, since the rated power ofthe power cut-off unit 306 is not great in a home where the amount ofthe supplied power is not sufficiently great, the power cut-off unit 306is electrically opened in response to the electrical overload caused bythe simultaneous operation of the component home appliances of thecomplex home appliance 200. In such a case, the power supply unit 308 isnot supplied with power and all of the component home appliances of thecomplex home appliance 200 are not allowed to be used simultaneously.

Accordingly, all of the component home appliances of the complex homeappliance 200 are allowed to be simultaneously used in a home where therated power of the power cut-off unit 306 is sufficiently great. On theother hand, the component home appliances of the complex home appliance200 are allowed to be, for example, individually used in a home wherethe rated power of the power cut-off unit 306 is not sufficiently great,so as to utilize the complex home appliance 200 even in the case wherethe amount of the supplied power is not sufficiently great.

To implement the above-described concept, a process of setting asimultaneous or individual operation mode of the complex home appliance200 according to the rated power of the power cut-off unit 306 isrequired before an operation of the complex home appliance 200, andafter the installation of the complex home appliance 200. The setting ofthe simultaneous or individual operation mode can be directly performedby a manufacturing company of the complex home appliance 200, after theinstallation of the complex home appliance 200. However, the setting ofthe simultaneous and individual operation mode may be performed by auser of the complex home appliance 200.

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart illustrating a setting of the simultaneous orindividual operation mode according to the rated power of the powercut-off unit 306 in the complex home appliance 200 shown in FIG. 3.Where the simultaneous or individual operation mode of the complex homeappliance 200 of the present invention is set, the rated power of thepower cut-off unit 306, instead of the amount of the supplied power, isused because the supply of the power to the power supply unit 308 isstopped by the power cut-off unit 306 at the time of an electricaloverload, and the component home appliances of the complex homeappliance 200 are not allowed to be used.

Referring to FIG. 4, an initial operation mode of the complex homeappliance 200 of the present invention is set to the simultaneousoperation mode in operation 402, and all of the component homeappliances of the complex home appliance 200 are allowed to besimultaneously operated after the installation of the complex homeappliance 200 in operation 404. Under this condition, a determination ismade whether the power cut-off unit 306 is electrically opened inoperation 406. Since all of the component home appliances cannot besimultaneously used where the power cut-off unit 306 is electricallyopened, the complex home appliance 200 is turned on and an operationmode of the complex home appliance 200 is changed from the simultaneousoperation mode to the individual operation mode in operation 408. Sincethe changed operation mode is displayed in the display unit 214, theuser can verify that the changed operation mode is the individualoperation mode through the display unit 214 in operation 410. Where thepower cut-off unit 306 is determined not to be electrically opened inthe operation 406, it is determined that the rated power of the powercut-off unit 306 is sufficiently great. In this case, where the complexhome appliance 200 is turned on, the currently set simultaneousoperation mode is displayed through the display unit 214 in operation412.

Where a partially simultaneous operation mode is added to the operationmodes of the complex home appliance 200, some of the component homeappliances of the complex home appliance 200 are simultaneously usedaccording to the rated power of the power cut-off unit 306. Accordingly,the efficiency of use of the complex home appliance 200 is furtherincreased.

FIG. 5 shows a flowchart illustrating the setting of the simultaneous,partially simultaneous or individual operation mode according to therated power of the power cut-off unit 306 in the complex home appliance200 shown in FIG. 3. Here, the amount of power consumed by the componenthome appliances have the following increasing order with respect to eachother: the microwave oven 202>the ventilation motor 316>the coffee maker210 >the toaster 208.

Referring to FIG. 5, an initial operation mode of the complex homeappliance 200 is set to the simultaneous operation mode in operation502, the complex home appliance 200 is installed, for example, in acooking space in operation 504, and the microwave oven 202 and theventilation motor 316 are simultaneously operated in operations 506 and508, respectively. In this state, a determination is made whether thepower cut-off unit 306 is electrically opened in operation 510. Wherethe power cut-off unit is electrically opened, the microwave oven 202and the ventilation motor 316, as well as the other component homeappliances, cannot be simultaneously used.

Accordingly, the complex home appliance 200 is turned on and anoperation mode of the complex home appliance 200 is changed from thesimultaneous operation mode to the individual operation mode inoperation 512. Two or more of the component home appliances of thecomplex home appliance 200 cannot be simultaneously used in theindividual operation mode, while a single component home appliance maybe used. Since the changed operation mode is displayed in the displayunit 214, the user can verify that the changed operation mode is theindividual operation mode through the display unit 214 in operation 528.

Where the power cut-off unit 306 is not opened in the operation 510, thecoffee maker 210 is allowed to be operated in operation 514, and it isdetermined whether the power cut-off unit 306 is electrically opened inoperation 516. In this case, where the power cut-off unit 306 iselectrically opened, the amount of the rated power of the power cut-offunit 306 is restricted to allow only the microwave oven 202 and theventilation motor 316 to be used.

Accordingly, the complex home appliance 200 is turned on and theoperation mode of the complex home appliance 200 is changed from thesimultaneous operation mode to a partially simultaneous operation mode(for the microwave oven 202 and the ventilation motor 316) in operation518. Only the microwave oven 202 and the ventilation motor 316 may besimultaneously used in this partially simultaneous operation mode, whilethe rest of the component home appliances of the complex home appliance200 may not be simultaneously used with the microwave oven 202 and theventilation motor 316. Since the changed operation mode is displayed inthe display unit 214, the user can verify that the changed operationmode is the partially simultaneous operation mode through the displayunit 214 in the operation 528.

The rated power of the power cut-off unit 306 is determined to besufficiently great where the power cut-off unit 306 is not electricallyopened in the operation 516, after the operation of the coffee maker210. Accordingly, the toaster 208 is allowed to be operated in operation520, and a determination is made whether the power cut-off unit 306 iselectrically opened in operation 522. In this case, where the powercut-off unit 306 is electrically opened, only the microwave oven 202,the ventilation motor 316 and the coffee maker 210 can be simultaneouslyoperated with the amount of the rated power of the power cut-off unit306. Accordingly, the complex home appliance 200 is turned on and theoperation mode of the complex home appliance 200 is changed from thesimultaneous operation mode to a partially simultaneous operation mode(for the microwave oven 202, the ventilation motor 316 and the coffeemaker 210) in operation 524. Only the microwave oven 202, theventilation motor 316 and the coffee maker 210 can be simultaneouslyused in this partially simultaneous operation mode, while the rest ofthe component home appliances of the complex home appliance 200, thatis, the toaster 208, may not be simultaneously used along with themicrowave oven 202, the ventilation motor 316 and the coffee maker 210.Since the changed operation mode is displayed in the display unit 214,the user can verify that the changed operation mode is the partiallysimultaneous operation mode (for the microwave oven 202, the ventilationmotor 316 and the coffee maker 310) through the display unit 214 in theoperation 528.

The rated power of the power cut-off unit 306 is determined to besufficiently great to simultaneously operate all of the component homeappliances where the power cut-off unit 306 is not electrically openedin the operation 522, after the operation of the toaster 208.Accordingly, the complex home appliance 200 is turned on and theoperation mode of the complex home appliance 200 is confirmed to be thesimultaneous operation mode in operation 526. In this case, all of thecomponent home appliances of the complex home appliance 200 may besimultaneously used. Since the operation mode is displayed in thedisplay unit 214, the user can verify that the operation mode is thesimultaneous operation mode through the display unit 214 in theoperation 528.

As described above, a complex home appliance of the present inventionincreases a user's convenience by providing a single system whichintegrates component home appliances having similar purposes in a regionof a home. In addition, the complex home appliance of the presentinvention solves an electrical overloading problem which occurs due to asimultaneous use of the component home appliances of the complex homeappliance. That is, the present complex home appliance allows a user touse the component home appliances simultaneously, partiallysimultaneously, or individually according to a rated power of a powercut-off unit.

Although a few preferred embodiments of the present invention have beenshown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the artthat changes may be made in this embodiment without departing from theprinciples and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined inthe claims and their equivalents.

1. A method of controlling a complex home appliance having two or morecomponent home appliances which are integrated into the complex homeappliance as a single system, a single power supply unit which is sharedby the two or more component home appliances of the complex homeappliance, a power cut-off unit which electrically opens to cut off asupply of power to the single power supply unit to prevent an electricaloverload of the complex home appliance when the complex home applianceexceeds a power level, and a single control unit which controls the twoor more component home appliances, the method comprising: setting aninitial operation mode of the complex home appliance to a simultaneousoperation mode to allow the two or more component home appliances to besimultaneously operable; determining whether the power cut-off unit iselectrically opened when the two or more component home appliances aresimultaneously operated; and changing an operation mode of the complexhome appliance from the simultaneous operation mode to an individualoperation mode so that the two or more component home appliances areindividually operable in response to the power cut-off unit beingopened.
 2. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprisingdisplaying a current operation mode of the complex home appliance.
 3. Amethod of controlling a complex home appliance having two or morecomponent home appliances which are integrated into the complex homeappliance as a single system, a single power supply unit which is sharedby the two or more component home appliances of the complex homeappliance, a power cut-off unit which electrically opens to cut off asupply of power to the single power supply unit to prevent an electricaloverload of the complex home appliance when the complex home applianceexceeds a power level, and a single control unit which controls the twoor more component home appliances, the method comprising: setting aninitial operation mode of the complex home appliance to a simultaneousoperation mode to allow the two or more component home appliances to besimultaneously operable; operating one of the two or more component homeappliances, and determining whether the power cut-off unit iselectrically opened while increasing the number of operated componenthome appliances one by one; and setting one of a partially simultaneousoperation mode and an individual operation mode of the complex homeappliance based on a number of the component home appliances which aresimultaneously operated when the power cut-off unit is electricallyopened, and maintaining the simultaneous operation mode if the powercut-off unit is not electrically opened.
 4. The method as set forth inclaim 3, further comprising setting the partially simultaneous operationmode in which n−1 component home appliances are simultaneously operable,in response to the power cut-off unit being electrically opened wherethe n component home appliances are simultaneously operated, wherein nis a whole number greater than or equal to three.
 5. The method as setforth in claim 3, further comprising operating the two or more componenthome appliances in a descending order of amounts of power consumed inresponse to the two or more component home appliances beingsimultaneously operated.
 6. The method as set forth in claim 3, furthercomprising operating the two or more component home appliances in anascending order of amounts of power consumed in response to the two ormore component home appliances being simultaneously operated.
 7. Themethod as set forth in claim 3, wherein the step of setting one of apartially simultaneous operation mode and an individual operation modefurther comprises setting one of a partially simultaneous operation modeor an individual operation mode of the complex home appliance based onnumber and type of the component home appliances which aresimultaneously operated when the power cut-off unit is electricallyopened, and maintaining the simultaneous operation mode if the powercut-off unit is not electrically opened.
 8. The method as set forth inclaim 3, further comprising displaying a current operation mode of thecomplex home appliance.